WCP2633

Letter (WCP2633.2523)

[1]

BRAEMAR,

UPPERTON, EASTBOURNE.

9th. July 1882.

My dear Sir,

The pamphlet1 of Mr Boyd Kinnear2 is admirably written, and gives a correct account of Scotch and Irish administration, in my opinion.

At the same time I must say that I am not myself[2] a great admirer of the Scotch system, although it is infinitely better than the Irish, and seems to give fair satisfaction in Scotland.

It is a makeshift "hole & corner" sort of business, without public debate in many cases, and Scotch members are perpetually compelled to accept half a loaf, on the ground that it is better than no bread. [3] I should greatly prefer the constitution of the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man, so far as legislation is concerned.

I do not believe that the Scotch system would be popular in Ireland where "wounds of deadly hate have pierced so deep"3deeper than they ever did in Scotland. It would of course be a step in the right direction.

Yours very truly | David Wedderburn4 [signature]

[4]5

Kinnear, John Boyd. 1880. Principles of Property in Land. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
Kinnear, John Boyd (1828-1920). Scottish lawyer, writer and Liberal, later Liberal Unionist, politician.
Milton, John. 1821. Paradise Lost. London: Printed for John Bumpus, Holborn-Bars.
Wedderburn, David (1835-1882). Scottish Member of Parliament for South Ayrshire 1868-1874 and for Haddington Burghs 1879-1882. Brother of William Wedderburn (1838-1918).
In ARW’s handwriting, “D Wedderburn (encl)”.

Please cite as “WCP2633,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP2633